1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to network element connectors and ports and more particularly to a network element connector assembly including stacked connector interfaces.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional network element (e.g., a router, switch, host, server, client, network-attached storage device or array, or the like), one or more connection points or “ports” are defined on a mounting surface (e.g., a printed circuit board) for coupling the network element to a physical communications medium via a network connector (e.g., a registered-jack (RJ) plug, a gigabit interface converter (GBIC) connector, a small form factor (SFF) connector, small form factor pluggable (SFP), or the like). Each port includes a connector interface to receive a network connector and its own physical layer protocol circuit or “PHY” for converting data between physical layer and higher layer (e.g., data link layer) formats.
More recently, so-called “auto-media detection” physical layer protocol circuits have been developed which enable a network element to detect the presence and/or availability of multiple interfaces (e.g., network connectors) to one or more physical connection mediums. A port may therefore include a single “auto-media detection PHY” coupled to multiple connector interfaces used, for example in a failover/recovery configuration. In order to reduce the mounting surface space or “footprint” occupied by a network element connector assembly (e.g., where auto-media detection PHYs are used in conjunction with multiple connector interfaces or where port and/or connector interface densities are high) a number of “stacked” network element connector assemblies have been implemented in which two or more connector interfaces of the same type (e.g., RJ, SFP, GBIC, or the like) are arranged in a stacked or vertically-aligned relationship with one another with respect to a mounting surface or substrate.
One existing network element connector assembly includes a stacked set of identical fixed connector interfaces (e.g., RJ-45 interfaces or receptacles) coupled to a mounting surface. While the described assembly enables a greater number of connector interfaces to be provided within the same mounting surface footprint and is relatively inexpensive to implement, it provides no flexibility in the type of connector interface made available. Another existing network element connector assembly includes a stacked cage assembly or subassembly having a number of stacked apertures to receive removable or “pluggable” connector interface modules of the same type (e.g., SFP transceiver modules). While different transceiver module interfaces (e.g., RJ-45 electrical, LC-type optical, or the like) may be used in conjunction with this type of network element connector assembly to provide greater flexibility in the type of connector interface made available, such removable connector interface modules are relatively expensive and must typically be incorporated into a network element by the end user.